Ghosts of Arendelle Past
by Ninathatcellokid
Summary: King Runeard distrusted magic, but why? As he explores the land and people surrounding his new kingdom, Runeard's past has come back to haunt him and his kingdom. Note: Queen Rita is Agnarr's Mother, who is mentioned in the "Unlocking Arendelle" book that was released before Frozen 2. She briefly appears in a family tree.


"Well, what did you find?"

King Runeard stared at the scouts as he paced back and forth in the council chamber. After the festivities celebrating the harvest festival died down, Runeard sent a mission of scouts to find out more about the land surrounding them and to establish trade with the Northuldra people, who were kind enough to welcome the newcomers to the fjord. His international network of trade and commerce was already flourishing and he was more than happy to include the Northuldra, who could provide Arendelle with lumber, ice, and animal products. Arendelle was only six years old, but Runeard was certain of her future and the kingdom was already as successful as many of the older surrounding kingdoms.

"Well, lots and lots of trees," said one of the scouts. "I guess that means we have plenty of firewood for the harsh winter to come."

"It's beautiful," said another. "I saw these stones, four of them. There were some strange symbols on them but wow! I think they were guarding a forest of some type."

"Um, Your Majesty, about that," said General Harald, stepping forward and holding out a notebook for his king. "Some of us ventured into the forest and saw some, let's say, strange occurrences."

Runeard took the notebook from Harald and flipped through the pages. They were filled with drawings of horses, reindeer, strangely shaped rocks, and a salamander with spots on its back. Another page depicted a sketch of several people that appeared to be floating midair. The king squinted his eyes, unsure if he saw the image incorrectly. Scribbled notes with strange descriptions and comments were scattered around the drawings. Runeard raised an eyebrow at all of the men surrounding him.

"What is the meaning of this?" He asked. He turned to the page to a drawing of a man riding a horse that seemed to be walking on water. "It seems to me that some of you have very creative minds. Sometimes the mind sees things when it is tired. Do any of you need some time off to recuperate?"

Harald cleared his throat, ready to summarize the findings to his king. He knew Runeard would be angry, so he sheepishly bowed his head before continuing.

"Your Majesty, those Northuldra people who were so kind to us live in that forest we found. They roam the forest to follow the reindeer's migration. However, they aren't the only ones there." Harald stood tall, clamping his hands behind his back. "They use magic. They live with giant boulders that can walk, they have a horse thats made of water, a pet salamander of unnatural coloring, and wind that seems to have a mind of its own."

Everyone in the room held their breath as Runeard took a seat. Gently closing the book, he tapped his fingers on the desk as he looked Harald straight in the eye.

"So you're saying, these gracious people who have done so much for us follow magic?" He asked, still shocked at what he had just heard.

"Yes, Your Majesty. I don't see how that makes anything different. It's actually quite amazing. There was no way this Northuldra family could cross the river with all their belongings, but one of those boulder-men bent down and carried them over the-"

"STOP," Runeard bellowed, slamming his fist down on the desk. "Magic will not be tolerated in my kingdom or my lands!"

"But Your Majesty—"

"NONSENSE," Runeard bellowed. "They follow MAGIC?"

"But Your Majesty, they've done nothing but show us kindness!" Harald stuttered, trying to keep his nerves down.

"So WHAT?" Runeard exclaimed angrily. "Kindness is NOTHING compared the magic." The king gazed around the room angrily as the advisors looked down at the floor, some trembling. The only sound in the room was Runeard's heavy breathing. Frustrated and still in shock, Runeard took a seat again and spoke again.

"They want to charm us," said Runeard, fists clenched and face flushing in anger. "But one day, they will turn against us with the forces of magic and nature to support them. What chance do we stand against that?"

"They have not given us a reason to mistrust them," said Harald as the men around them murmured in agreement.

"Hear hear," said one of the scouts. "I kind of like that salamander. He's cute, but has some serious anger issues. He burnt my hand because I grabbed him by the tail by accident. Some Northuldra helped me and gave me hand some nice ointment and I feel great!"

"Yes, these people are kind, but so were the people who hurt my family and tore apart our kingdom."

The whole room fell silent. Harald stepped back as Runeard stood up from his chair. The king headed towards the door, heart pounding. Not wanting to talk to his council anymore for the night, he turned around.

"Tomorrow morning at 8:00 sharp. We will save this discussion when all of our heads are clear."

At that, Runeard left the room and slammed the door behind him. Anger, sadness, stress, and frustration flooded his head as he made his way down the dimly lit corridor to his young son's bedroom. Not wanting to think of the meeting, magic, or his past any longer, he decided to visit his four year old son Agnarr, who had been fighting a nasty cold for the past few days. The boy always cheered Runeard up with his stories and imagination, and his problems always vanished in the time they were together.

Sighing heavily, the king opened the door to his son's room, where he saw his wife sitting on Agnarr's bed with her son's head resting on her lap. With one hand, she stroked his hair and with the other, had a picture book open. She looked at her husband with a small smile.

"Papa, is that you?" A small, hoarse voice asked. Runeard made his way to the bed, dodging the various toys and books that covered the bedroom floor, and took a seat at the edge. Little Agnarr gave his father a small wave.

"Yes, Agnarr. It's me," Runeard said softly. "May I ask what you two are up to?"

"I was reading him a story about Sif's golden hair," Queen Rita replied, helping her son sit up to face his father. "He really enjoys it," she added with a smile.

"Loki cuts off all her hair!" Said Agnarr, his little face forming a pout. "He's mean."

Both Rita and Runeard burst out laughing at their son's innocent comment. As he brought himself together, Runeard realized, again, how his family always brings his mood up, especially his son. Wanting to stay with his son a little longer, he took his wife's hand into his own and stroked her palm.

"Would you mind if I stayed with him alone? You've been with him all day, so I think you should rest," Runeard told his wife. Rita smiled at her husband, quickly planting a kiss on his hands before hopping off the bed.

"Goodnight mama. I love you," said Agnarr, holding his arms open. Rita bent over to return the hug and planted a kiss in her son's hair.

"I love you, too. Sweet dreams, my love," said Rita before departing. Before she left, she turned to her husband. "I will see you back in our chambers."

Runeard nodded as the door clicked shut. Turning to his son, he took the book in his hands and examined it.

"Hmm. I am afraid we lost track of the pages," the king said in a playfully formal voice. "Would you kindly remind me of where you stopped?"

Giggling, Agnarr snuggled up against his father and pointed at the book.

"Loki makes Sif bald!" Agnarr exclaimed, voice still hoarse from days of coughing. "And then Thor looks for her," he added.

Runeard chuckled.

"Alright then." He began to read. "'Thor looked all over Asgard, but he still couldn't find his beautiful wife..."

By the time Runeard finished the story, Agnarr was already half asleep. As he stood up to put the book back on the nightstand, a small voice caught his attention.

"Papa, I have golden hair too," Agnarr whispered, half asleep. "Can you make sure nobody cuts it all off?" His request was immediately followed by soft snores.

"Of course," said Runeard as he kissed his son's soft cheek. As he blew out the candles, he caught a glimpse of his son's sleeping form. The boy's long golden locks were sprawled out on the pillow, and he clutched tightly onto his favorite reindeer stuffed animal. Runeard stood at the foot of the bed, silently observing, and admiring, the child he created. Agnarr was born on one of the warmest days of spring, and Runeard's life was changed forever the moment his son was first laid in his arms. He was so small, so innocent, and so helpless. Holding Agnarr for the first time made Runeard realize that he had a higher purpose in life than just fighting battles, securing trade networks, and ruling a kingdom. Raising his son made him even more determined to create a safe and comfortable future for his family and kingdom, and the wounds of the past would eventually heal and allow them to move on.

Runeard sighed, his eyes still on his son. As the reports from the council meeting came flooding back through his mind, he pictured the magical creatures destroying his kingdom. The wind would blow first, followed by fire, then earth would destroy the land, and finally water to wash everything away. He shook his head, trying to shake away the thought of Agnarr sitting in the ruins, crying for his mother and father to rescue him before a wave came to overcome him as well. He walked back to the bed and kissed his son's warm forehead once more. _I will do anything to keep you safe_, Runeard thought as he exited the room, giving his son a small smile before closing the door behind him.

"Is he alright?"

Rita was standing on their balcony, staring out at the kingdom as it prepared for the night. Runeard walked over to his wife and took a seat next to her.

"Yes. He's sleeping like an angel," said Runeard, taking Rita's soft hands into his own. "He still feels a bit warm, so I'll ask the doctor to prepare some herbs tomorrow before my meeting."

Rita nodded her head and looked into Runeard's deep blue eyes with a look of concern on her face.

"Is everything alright?" Asked Runeard, noticing his wife's concern. "Is something wrong with you or Agnarr? The kingdom?"

"It's you," she replied. "Something's wrong. I can see it in your eyes."

Not wanting to burden his wife by making her worry and fuss over him, Runeard lowered his head and began to speak.

"I don't want to lose everything," he said slowly, taking a deep breath before continuing. "I don't want to lose the kingdom, I don't want to lose my family, and I don't want to lose everything I have built and created."

"What makes you say such things?" Rita asked, voice barely a whisper.

"The council meeting I had today. The scouts just returned from surveying the land, and they reported to me that the Northuldra people practice magic."

Runeard looked down at his wife, trying to suppress anger that was rising again.

"These people have control over very powerful creatures that have the ability to destroy anything and everything, and it is apparent that these people possess magic themselves. I understand that they have shown us nothing but kindness, but I cannot allow magic to be this close to my kingdom." Runeard took a deep breath. "Magic is what killed my family and forced their kingdom to the brink of starvation. I will not let that fate befall Arendelle. I worked my entire life to break away from my uncle and create a kingdom of my own that promotes tolerance and acceptance. I created a family and a legacy. I can't let all of that get destroyed." The king leaned against the balcony, silently watching as the kingdom slowly prepared for the evening. Vendors were selling some last minute products and the lights in the shop windows went out one by one. Parents desperately chased after their children as they continued to play and wrestle with eachother. The ships in the harbor bobbed up and down as small waves formed. The sailors on board prepared for the night by shouting last minute orders at eachother and packing the deck. On the bridge connecting the castle to the village, the lights were put out one by one. It was all so blissful, and Runeard couldn't help but admire the place he created. Many years ago, when he was not much older than Agnarr, his father angered a nearby village because the kingdom kept cutting down trees and collecting boulders to expand their borders. Realizing his mistake, the king apologized, but they did not know these people were magical and the things they took were sacred. Still angry, the magic folk staged a rebellion against the kingdom and Runeard lost his father and brother in the chaos that ensued. When the battle was over, the magic folk continued to curse the kingdom by slowly killing the livestock and the crops. On top of a struggling kingdom, Runeard's uncle, the new king, proved to be a ruthless tyrant who limited the rights of minorities, denied immigration or emigration, and punished people for simply disagreeing with him. Despite his uncle's influence, Runeard grew up with good morals and came to see the corruption and the suffering the people faced. Not wanting to see people suffer any longer, the young man won the hearts of the people and helped them escape to an isolated fjord that would later become Arendelle. His uncle was furious, but he fell ill and passed away before he could confront his nephew. Runeard was then declared king and he decided the kingdom will be reestablished in the fjord, with a new name: Arendelle. For years, Runeard worked alongside his people to build the new kingdom, establish diplomatic ties, and welcome newcomers looking for a better place to live. He became kind and selfless king who was willing to help anyone, especially immigrants who moved to Arendelle to escape persecution or create a better life for themselves and he loved his subjects as much as they loved him. However, beneath all his success and glory, Runeard was still haunted by the events of his childhood and magic easily became the one thing he could not tolerate or accept. Now, after years of peace and prosperity, the threat of magic is coming back to haunt him and undermine his power.

He must have been watching the kingdom for a long time, because when Runeard focused again, the town square was empty and dark. Blinking slowly, he turned around to face his wife, who was standing behind him with a sad smile on her face. He reached his hand out and gently caressed her cheek.

"It's getting a little chilly," he said quietly. "Why don't we go back inside?"

As he lead his wife back into their bedroom, he turned around and took one last look at his kingdom. _I will not let those magical folk ruin all the things I have built and done, _the king thought before closing the double doors to the balcony. _They think their rock giants and fire lizards give them the power and ability to challenge a king and threaten a kingdom. They think they can do anything because of their magic. With kindness comes aggression. They want to soften me, make me expose Arendelle's soft underbelly so they can come in and strike at the right time. I must do something now, when their plan is still young and un-_

"Runeard." His wife's voice broke his train of though. He turned his head to Rita, who was silently standing beside him. Immediately, he wrapped her small frame in a tight embrace and released his inner thoughts.

"Rita, I thought I had everything. The kingdom is less than a decade old and its already prospering under my rule. I thought I would never get the chance to marry, but here we are, happier than ever with a child of our own. I thought I would never have to relive my past, but here I am, being threatened by the very forces that drove us here in the first place. I must do something about them, but I'm unsure what to do and how. You know how powerful magic can be. You've seen it and how it destroys everything one owns. I am a king, above all, but their magic makes them think they can defy my power and threaten my people."

The couple stood in a comfortable silence before Rita spoke.

"I understand. But I also understand that it's late and you have negotiations with Indian and Chinese diplomas tomorrow. You should get some rest. As for the Northuldra, I think you should address them slowly. Do not go marching in that forest with your armies. Figure out a way to pacify them without violence. If they willingly bow to you and abandon their independence to be subjects of Arendelle, they will have no reason to use their magic against you. Now, why don't we drink some warm tea and go to sleep. We both have a big day ahead of us."

Smiling slightly, Runeard accepted the cup of tea his wife offered him. As he sat on the bed with Rita curled up beside him, he realized the brilliance in her approach. Before winter settles in, he will gather his advisors and scouts and he will see the magical forest for himself. Maybe then will he have a legitimate plan. For now, he had a kingdom to rule and negotiations to make, and finally exhausted, Runeard closed his eyes, appreciating everything he had and promising himself that he will eliminate the threat of magic once and for all.


End file.
